Shadows

Written by John Saul

Narrated by J. Charles

They call it the Academy. A secluded, cliff-top mansion overlooking the rugged Pacific coast. A school for children gifted -- or cursed -- with extraordinary minds. Children soon to come under the influence of an intelligence even more brilliant than their own -- and unspeakably evil.

For within this mind a dark plan is taking form. A plan so horrifying, no one will believe it. No one but the children. And for them it is already too late. Too late, unless one young student can resist the seductive invitation that will lead... into the Shadows.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Dec 25, 2005
• ISBN: 9781597376044

John Saul

John Saul’s first novel Suffer the Children became an instant bestseller, as have many of the thirty-three novels of dark suspense he has published since. Amidst this busy writing schedule, he divides his time between Seattle, Washington and Hawaii.

Reviews for Shadows

[dark_phoenix54 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Josh MacCallum is ten years old and having a hard time. He lives in a small California desert town with his single mother and baby sister, is a genius, and has just been skipped forward in school a second time, making him two years younger than his classmates. Friendless, he is bullied constantly. It’s no real surprise when, in a fit of anger, he cuts his wrists. His panicked mother agrees to look into The Academy, a school for gifted youngsters affiliated with a university. Despite her reservations, the school seems to fit Josh’s needs, as well as being offered at no cost. For the first time Josh starts to make friends and is actually in a group of his peers. Things look happy. But things start going wrong quickly- students are committing suicide at an alarming rate. Mysterious sounds are heard at night. And the ‘special seminar’ that Josh and his new best friend, Amy, are invited to join is downright creepy. It’s supposed to be about artificial intelligence, but it really seems to be more about how living brains work. The head of the Academy, Dr. Engersol, seems all too bent on isolating brains from body. It’s really hard to write about this book without giving huge spoilers. Suffice it to say that what Josh uncovers is a truly skin crawling situation, that bad things happen to good people, and that it’s reasonably well written. The book was written 20 years ago and features computers and how they are interconnected, so one must remember what the state of computer technology was like back then to realize how freaky some of the things that happen in the book must have seemed to readers back then- there was no World Wide Web and modems connected your computer directly to another computer through the phone lines, not routing through a server. Some of the story is predictable, but there are surprises, particularly an unhappy twist at the end.

[Janese · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

I really had trouble listening to the narrator. His voice was simply grating.

[whitewavedarling · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I discovered John Saul in middle school, and devoured everything I could find him between my late middle school and high school years--yet, I read them so quickly, and read so many books back then, I haven't had many memories of them as an adult. Re-reading this was sort of fascinating and wonderful, though I'm a little bit horrified to think of how young I was when I first read this one.Saul's writing is fast and dark, and he doesn't shy away from turning real-feeling characters toward unbelievable tragedy in horror. This book in particular deals with everything from child abuse and endangerment to child suicide and animal experimentation, and just when you think it can't get darker... well, yes, it does.It's true that this story might feel a little bit dated in terms of the story and technology presented, compared to where we are today, but readers who can get past that will be struck with a master storyteller's tale of horror that won't be easily forgotten. And if you like horror and can deal with those subjects above... well then, yes, I absolutely 100% recommend it.

[rsplenda477 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Pretty good attempt at newer horror. Definitely worth the read if you are a horror fan.

[lauriebrown54 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Josh MacCallum is ten years old and having a hard time. He lives in a small California desert town with his single mother and baby sister, is a genius, and has just been skipped forward in school a second time, making him two years younger than his classmates. Friendless, he is bullied constantly. It’s no real surprise when, in a fit of anger, he cuts his wrists. His panicked mother agrees to look into The Academy, a school for gifted youngsters affiliated with a university. Despite her reservations, the school seems to fit Josh’s needs, as well as being offered at no cost. For the first time Josh starts to make friends and is actually in a group of his peers. Things look happy. But things start going wrong quickly- students are committing suicide at an alarming rate. Mysterious sounds are heard at night. And the ‘special seminar’ that Josh and his new best friend, Amy, are invited to join is downright creepy. It’s supposed to be about artificial intelligence, but it really seems to be more about how living brains work. The head of the Academy, Dr. Engersol, seems all too bent on isolating brains from body. It’s really hard to write about this book without giving huge spoilers. Suffice it to say that what Josh uncovers is a truly skin crawling situation, that bad things happen to good people, and that it’s reasonably well written. The book was written 20 years ago and features computers and how they are interconnected, so one must remember what the state of computer technology was like back then to realize how freaky some of the things that happen in the book must have seemed to readers back then- there was no World Wide Web and modems connected your computer directly to another computer through the phone lines, not routing through a server. Some of the story is predictable, but there are surprises, particularly an unhappy twist at the end.

[susanbevans · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another fast read from Saul. Very well written with fantastic twists and turns. A real page-turner!

[l3wilso_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This was the first book I ever read by Saul over 5 years ago or so. It was suggested to me by my Father who also is an avid reader like myself. I was very impressed with Sual's writing style and have been ever since. I thought the book was wonderful, the characters were played out in detail and Saul kept me engaged in my reading.The ending was very good and it really moved me. Sort of took you to another place in the belief that the brain can be replaced by computers.Really good writing, enjoyable reading.

[seldombites · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Shadows is a good book to read at night, and the plot was interesting. The concept of true artificial intelligence is always scary, especially when that intelligence wakes up and realises the total power and control it can wield. I quite liked the ending of this book as well. Having said all that, however, I come to the book's main handicap - it's forgettable. It is just one day since I finished reading Shadows and I've already forgotten my feelings and impressions while reading it. In my opinion, an enjoyable read, but not worth a second look.